In 'Making a Home for Refugees' BBC producer Esther Armah
reports from Hull in the north east of England.
Traditionally Hull has had only a very small
ethnic community numbering some 300 Chinese, so
there was considerable suspicion when the local
council agreed to accept around 250 Iraqi Kurds,
under the British government's dispersal
programme. In fact between 1,500 and 3,000
arrived in the city, as a result of a deal done
by private landlords. Initially there were
incidents of violence and racial abuse, even
today there are occasional attacks. But as
Esther discovered, despite lingering prejudice,
there is a growing acceptance of these refugees
and asylum-seekers. This program airs as part of the special international collaboration series Global Perspectives: Looking for Home.

Program Credits

Making a Home for Refugees was compiled and presented by Esther Armah of the BBC. It was produced for the BBC’s World Service by Gillian Gray, and originally aired as part of our international collaboration, Global Perspective: Looking for Home.

The Kurds: People without a countryEncyclopedia Britannica provides information on the Kurds' ongoing struggle for an independent state, complete with biographies of important figures and a timeline of the past century's struggles.

Kurds in HullAn article from The Guardian that describes the immigration of Kurds into the city of Hull.

Global Perspectives: Looking for HomeSoundprint's ongoing collaboration with radio partners from around the world brings you Global Perspectives: Looking For Home, exploring the impact of global immigration.

Books:Kurdish Familyby: Karen O'Connor, Rick Moncauskas (Photographer) 1996The illustrated story of a Kurdish refugee family who makes a new home in California.